Companions, for better and worse
by moonbird
Summary: Ash gets a nasty surprise, from a surprising source. He thought Team Rocket would be out to trouble as usual, but not this time, this time team rocket faces tragedy. And ash realize that he cares, the adventures he had always had team rocket in them. And now with one of them potentially gone, every-body is left in a sad mood. Particularly the two rocket members left behind.
1. Chapter 1

Ash sighed deeply as he, Iris and Cerise walked through town.

Iris lifted an eye-brow. "What's the matter Ash?" she asked.

Ash sighed. "Sorry, I was just thinking." He mumbled. "I keep expecting time Rocket to jump right out at us, but they just wont come. It's weird going so long without a team rocket attack! We have been on three different islands on our way back to palet town all-ready!" he pointed out.

Iris blinked. "You're right, it's been like a month." She realised.

Cerise shrugged. "Maybe they gave up, and got some other business to attend." He pointed out.

"Njah I doubt it." Ash told. "Those guys, they just never give up." He sighed.

"Pika." Pikachu nodded a very tired nod.

It was true.. The team just hadn't seen a single sign of Team Rocket for pretty long.

It irked Ash, it irked him so much that he started to really look out for them, in the street corners, in the bars.. every-where. But they didn't show up.

Then of cause, when you look for some-thing, you often end up finding it in the way you least exspect it. Ash, Iris and Cerise had decided to buy ice-cream at an ice-cream bar, as Ash had gotten his glass of ice-cream he backed away, to almost bump into a table and spill the drink that stood on it.

"WHAT WHERE YOU ARE GOING YOU IDIOT!" A woman yelled at Ash.

Ash turned around as he laughed. "Sorry I.." he halted as he opened his eyes, right in front of him. Long red hair combed back, Safire blue eyes, harsh sharp features, and most of all, a meowth by her side.

"TEAM ROCKET!" Ash exclaimed pointing at the two, though Jessie wasn't in uniform at the moment, instead she was wearing a simple green dress matching her hair, and yellow boots with high heels.

"Oh the brats." Jessie hissted turning around as she crossed her arms.

"ALL-RIGHT WHAT DO YOU WANT!?" Ash asked in a confronting voice, pointing at Jessie. "You are NOT getting Pikachu." he told in a clinched fist.

Jessie turned around to face him, but her face-expression, it surprised Ash, she looked angry and upset, but not the usual way angry, and she never looked upset like this. "I DON'T WANT YOUR STUPID PIKACHU!" she yelled standing up as she hammered her hands down in the table. "YOU STUPID INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT!" she hissed.

Then ash noticed, tears were running down Jessies eyes.

Ash blinked. "Are.. are you all-right?" he asked, very shocked about this weird turn of events.

"Well of cause I am all-right." Jessie hissed wiping her eyes in an angry motion. "Just leave me alone brat!" she hissed pushing Ash aside as she walked straight past him.

Blinking Ash looked after Jessie, so did Iris ad Cecise.

"What was that all about?" Ash asked confused, then he felt some-thing hitting his leg. "AUW!" Ash jumped up and down, and looked down to discover that Meowth were there and had just kicked him. "What did you do that for!?" Ash hissed annoyed jumping up and down.

"YOU UPSET JESSIE!" Meowth shouted pointing at Ash. "I should slash you right here and now!" he hissed.

Annoyed Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and stood in front of Meowth, sparking warningly if Meowth came any closer.

"You just try!" Meowth hissed clinching a paw at Pikachu.

"STOP IT!" Cerise jumped between them. "Meowth, I can sense you are reacting on emotions you are upset. Stop it."

Ash blinked. "Upset?" he asked. "Meowth, what reason do you possible have to be upset?" he asked.

Meowth looked down, not answering.

"MEOWTH ANSWER HIM!" Iris demanded.

Annoyed Meowth looked at him. "Man you are some inconsiderate brats." he hissed.

Ash swallowed as he sat down on his knee, as to come closer to meowth. "Just tell me." he asked silently. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Meowth looked at ash, then tears started to form in his eyes as he sniffed and looked down on the ground. "James.." he at last told.

Ash blinked. "James?" he asked, then looked around. "Where's James?" he asked.

Meowth swallowed. "In the hospital." he told.

Ashs's eyes widened. "What?" he asked.

"And he wont… he wont wake up." Meowth sniffed as he clutched his paws and squinted his eyes as he looked down. "They say if he don't wake up on his own in the first week, there is little chance that he'll wake up at all, the longer he is like that, the less likely it is that he'll ever wake up." he hissed as his voice broke.

Ash blinked. "How.. how long has he been unresponsive?" he asked.

Meowth looked away with squinted eyes. "Five days." he at last told, making the team gasp. "So you see don't you!?" Meowth hissed looking up at them. "We don't want any-thing to do with any of you right now! We just want to be LEFT ALONE!" he shouted.

Slowly Pikachu stepped forward, and laid a comforting paw on Meowths shoulder. "Pika." he whispered silently.

Meowth how-ever hissed as he pushed Pikachus paw away. "Leave me alone!" he hissed and turned around, to fall over so he was on all fours, and could run even faster than usual away.

Wide-eyed Ash looked after where Jessie and Meowth had gone to, he was in minor shock. "James." He whispered.

Iris sighed. "Don't worry about it Ash, it's not your problem." She told.

"How can I not worry?" Ash asked turning to Iris. "I never wanted to see him getting hurt!"

"Ash." Iris tried.

"Look, my relation with those three it's.. well it's complicated." Ash told. "Mostly we are enemies, but they have also saved me a good couple of times. I know they are not entirely bad people."

"How can you say that?" Iris asked. "They work for a criminal origination!" he pointed out. "They steal peoples pokemon! If they ever found you starving in the gutter, you really think they would help you?" she asked.

Ash swallowed, then he shook his head. "Just proofs I known them that much longer." He whispered. "They actually would help. They are lowlife thieves, but they are not monsters. They would never let a person die right in front of them." He told looking up at the two.

Cerise sighed. "I am actually not surprised." He admitted.

Iris heads turned to Cerise. "Really?" she asked. "How can you know?" she asked.

"Their pokemon." Cerise smiled lightly. "Their pokemon are all very loyal to them, and you cannot take such a loyality, you have to earn it. Just look at Meowth." He pointed out. "That sure is a unique pokemon."

"Yeah, not that many pokemon can talk." Ash shrugged.

"No that's not what I meant." Cerise shook his head as he waved his head. "What I mean is, usually, Pokemons have only one owner. They can have more human friends, but only one owner." He pointed out. "Meowth has two." He told lifting two fingers. "And he is fiercely loyal to both of them. His loyalty to Jessie and James rivals Pikachu loyality to you." He pointed out. "It's that strong, and you cannot force such a bond. Meowth is even a cat type pokemon, so for him to become that loyal, it takes some-thing extra special. Thus Jessie and James must really care for him, and their other pokemons for them to be that strong and loyal." He pointed out. "That also speaks for their character." he cleared his throat.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I could pretty much figure." He admitted before he turned around and started to run. "Hey where are you going!?" Cerise asked.

"I'M GOING TO FIND JESSIE AND MEOWTH!" Ash yelled as Pikachu came running after him. "I SERIOUSLY NEED TO APOLOGIES!" he told.


	2. Chapter 2

Ash hadn't been able to find either of them any-where… only one place left to look. The only hospital in town.

"Ash, this could be a trap you know!" Iris exclaimed. "It wouldn't be beneath them to make a scheme like that to capture Pikachu." She told.

Ash exhaled. "No they are not." He admitted. "But did you see the look on Jessies face?" he asked turning to Iris. "And how protective Meowth was, that was real. I've never seen Jessie vulnerable before. So this has to be for real." He told.

Iris swallowed. "at least let me go with you."

"No, please stay here." Ash asked. "This is some-thing I have to do." With a buqet of flowers in his hand, Ash stepped into the Hospital. By the desk he asked for James and was led to a room.

The door was closed.. Ash hesitated slightly as Pikachu sitting on his shoulder starred at the door.

Finally Ash sighed as he slowly opened the door, and was met with a rather awful sight.

Jessie was sitting all hunched on a chair in front of a bed, holding some-thing in her hands that she was looking at.

Meowth was curled up in the foot end of the bed, looking like he tried to rest but was unable to, and in the bed.. was James.

He looked awful! He was pall as a ghost, there was all sorts of things stuck into the young man, beeping away.

"Oh no." Ash whispered.

Jessie straightened by the sound of his voice and turned around so Ash got to see.. she had been crying again, and in her hand. It was James's uniform, then Jessies eyes squinted. "What are you doing here brat?" she asked.

"Erh I.." Ash swallowed. "I just came to erh.. to apologies." He told. "And giving James these.. if you don't mind." He asked.

Jessie shrugged. "Do what you want, it's not like he can even hear you any-way." She snorted and turned back.

Ash swallowed, before he awkwardly tried to step closer, then he looked down at James's face.. the purple haired teen didn't even look relaxed, he looked restless and ghostly in his state, it was scary.

"Urh.." Ash hesitated. "Hallo James." He tried. "Heard you weren't doing to well I.. I.." Ash tried. "Here!" Ash then tried reaching forward the flowers. "These are for you! I mean! i.. I'll just go put them in some water!" he exclaimed finding a vase and then hurried to the sink to fill it with water. On his entire way Ash could feel Jessies eyes following him, and as Ash returned Jessie looked at him with a rather saying look.

"You really are pathetic." Jessie snorted. "A real goodie tooshie."

Ash's shoulder sagged as he exhaled deeply. "Yeah I guess so." I admitted.

"Just like him." Jessie then sighed as her eyes fell on James, then her hands clutched at his uniform.

Ash lifted his eye-brows as he looked at the uniform in Jessies hands, and noticed again that Jessie weren't wearing hers, but he didn't comment on it, instead he asked another question. "How this did happen?" he asked. "How did he?" Ash turned to James.

Jessie sighed deeply. "Team Plasma finally caught up to us, they wanted revenge for when we foiled their plans." She muttered. "They caught us and locked us up in their prison." She sighed. "The prison wasn't very nice, it was under ground so it was dark, wet and cold, and I don't think the food was very healthy either." She told as she wrinkled her nose. "We all managed to get sick before long, but at last we managed to escape or.. sort of." Jessie sighed deeply. "We were to exhausted to out-manouvre team-plasma, to sick to think clearly, on our way out we were stupid enough to become a perfect target for the blasters, they would have hit all of us if not.." she swallowed.

"If not what?" Ash asked.

At that Jessie opened her eyes which were ones again wet. "If James hadn't taken the blast for all of us, covering us with his own body until team plasma had run out of amo." She whispered. "Then he fainted.. and he hasn't woken up since." She told. "The exhaustion, the lack of light, the malnutrion, and now the blasts… his body couldn't take it." She told.

"Oh." Ash swallowed. "I see.. I.." This situation still seemed very awkward to all of them. "So what are you going to do now?" he asked.

Jessie shrugged. "I guess I'll stay here, not much else to do." She told, in an attempt to sound nonchalant, in spite clutching the uniform in her hands, so tightly that it almost ripped.

"You do realise this wouldn't have happened if you weren't Team Rocket right?" Ash asked with crossed arms. "Why don't you quite? James is rich enough to provide for all of you."

Jessie hissed as she turned to Ash. "Do you know what this uniform means to us brat, do you?" she asked holding up James's uniform.

"Urh.." Ash blinked.

"For you, this might be the symbol of a criminal organisation, but for us, it's freedom!" Jessie told. "If there is one thing, neither I nor James can stand, it's to be captured or held down, we need to be free or we'll suffercate to death." She told as she stood up. "You know nothing about us you brat! So why don't you beat it?" she yelled pointing over her shoulder.

That wasn't entirely true… Ash had learned a lot about these three.

He suddenly remembered how young they all were, James and Jessie were each only seventeen, not that much older than Ash himself, not nearly as old as all the poke professors around, or officers or nurses...

Jessies childhood had been tough, she had grown up being poor having nothing, and adapted a street-hard persona just to survive.

James had grown up an aristocrat, but every single aspect of his life had been controlled. From what he was supposed to wear, to how he was supposed to behave, to whom he should marry. So James had ended up running away. Not just ones but twice.

He still had a family, both a mom and dad and two grand parents, he elected every day not to go home to them, to be with team rocket to be… free?

"I'm sorry." Ash blushed as he looked down. "I'm sure James doesn't regret a single day with you guys, he cares about you a lot, I always knew that." He told. "And he has fun, you all have fun together don't you?" he asked. "I'm sure if he could go back and do it all over again, he would do the same things again." He swallowed and turned around. "I'm sorry to disturb you, I'll just leave." He told taking a step towards the door.

"Wait." Jessies voice interrupted and surprised Ash turned his head, to be even more surprised as Jessie was offering him a slight smile while a tear was dripping down her chin. "Thank you." She whispered, and that was it, as she for a slight moment looked like that at ash. And then her face retorted in her usual hard attitude. "Now beat it brat!" she demanded.

Ash nodded as he smirked. "Sure thing! I sure hope James will wake up soon! See ya around!" he grinned waving at them as he exited the door.


	3. Chapter 3

How had it comes to this?

How could it possible have come to this!

Jessie hated it! She hated this situation with all of her being, it was worse than being stuck out on the ocean on a raft, it was worse than starving, worse than being blasted to the sky, worse than an electrical shot from Pikachu, worse than her time in team plasmas prison, even worse than a scolding from the boss.

For right now, Jessie felt nothing but weak and useless, and if there was some-thing Jessie hated, it was to feel weak!

She would be strong, she had to! Because if she let any-one discover how weak she really was, they would loose all respect for her, she would be done for.

And yet she had let that little twerp see her weakness yesterday, now when she needed to appear the strongest.

But seeing James there, laying in front of her unresponsive. Jessie just felt so weak and helpless, she didn't know what to do with herself.

James was always there to pick her up when she was sad, always there being strong and carefree, smitten every-one with his attitude.

Jessie would never say it, but she always thought James was in reality the stronger of the two.

Because he would never break the same way as Jessie did, he would laugh at the silliness and walk on. Putting on a stupid hat while quoting a poem he just wrote.

It seemed like all James really wished for, was to be allowed to goof around and have adventure. To be his own person.

Jessie wished she was strong enough to be as true to herself as James was to himself, allowing himself to look pathetic and scared when he felt that way.

Jessie how-ever, kept up her iron façade, terriefied of it ever breaking down.

But now.. without James, it all came crashing down.

Jessie sniffed as she wiped away a tear. Stop it!

She had been alone all of her life, before she met James and Meowth she had been alone! And she had been fine!

But.. never had she tried to be happy in the same way as she had been when she had been with James and Meowth.

With those two.. she was finally complete, even though she had never even realised before that she was missing a piece.

"Jessie." Meowths voice spoke quietly.

"Huh?" Jessie looked up with drowsy eyes. "What?" she murmered.

"Jessie you need to sleep." Meowth told quietly. "You have been here all night."

Jessie shook her head. "Today is day six!" she hissed. "He has to wake up before tomorrow, that means today! So I am staying here!" she demanded.

"Wouldn't you be happier if you look well-rested when James sees you again?" Meowth asked. "Even your hair is."

"What?" Jessie hissed.

"Nothing." Meowth told as he averted his eyes.

Jessie grumbled as she walked to the bathroom just to have a look in the mirror, and then had to realise. Her always neatly sat up and well kempt hair, had fallen down. And yet Jessie couldn't find the energy to do it all over again. So instead she sat it up in a firm horsetail, which still did the job of keeping the hair out of Jessies before she went back to James's bed-side.

And sat on her chair with crossed arms and a pout on her mouth.

"You still don't want to go have a little nap?" Meowth asked. "I promise I'll stay here, and call you the moment he wakes up."

"I wouldn't be able to sleep any-way." Jessie murmered. "I tried to go out and get some fresh air yesterday as the doctor said I should do, and look what that go me." She hissed. "All I wanted was a Cappuccino, and then we bump into the twerps."

Meowth sighed deeply as he stretched his back, from where he stood in James's bed, and then jumped down on the floor. "Fine." He murmered. "Then let me go get that Cappucino for you at least." He murmered walking to the door, though he turned around facing Jessie before he existed. "What do you want to eat?" he asked.

"Not hungry." Jessie told.

"I didn't ask if you were hungry, I just asked wanted what you wanted to eat." Meowth replied.

Jessie hesitated, then sighed. "An Apple would be good." She finally told.

"Coming right up." Meowth nodded and walked out.

Since when had Meowth become so loyal? He was a little back-stabber or.. wasn't he?

Jessie didn't know any-more, she didn't think about it at all, she just went on adventures with him having fun.

Meowth had been the boss's pokemon ones, but he had stopped talking about returning to Giovanni a good while ago. He didn't view himself as Giovannis pokemon any-more he was… theirs?

Or just his own?

Jessie shook her head, why did it even matter?

Closing her eyes pictures flashed for Jessies eyes, that damp cell so far underground, he felt like for-ever that she had seen sunlight, though it was probably only a couple of weeks.

It was impossible to tell night and day apart down here, thus Jessie had no idea how long a time that had passed by.

She grabbed her arms as she shook.

"Are you all-right Jessie?" James's horse voice asked from the neighbouring cell.

"Of cause I am." Jessie told with a quivering lip, and then her teethes started to clapper as well. "Damn." She hissed more to herself.

"Here." James then told just as an item flew straight through the bar and hit Jessie right in the head.

Jessie hissed as she removed the cloth from her face and discovered.. it was Jame's shirt, the white one to go over his uniform with the R on it. Jessie hissed annoyed. "Don't be an idiot James, you must be at least as cold as me." She muttered.

"I don't have a bare stomach and bare legs to worry about." James's voice sounded from the other side of the dark.

Jessie sighed, even she couldn't argue about that, and wrapped the shirt around her shoulders, only to discover there was more, some-thing dropped from the shirt, three round objects, three apples. Jessie blinked, where did those come from?

They had gotten an apple occasionally, and Jessie had devoured them at ones since she was always hungry down here. She was ready to swear that Team Plasma didn't give them enough to eat on purpose. "Did you snatch those?" Jessie asked.

"Huh?" James asked.

"The apples." Jessie asked. "Did you snatch some extra?"

"Yes." James answered. "Stupid team plasma didn't even realise." He grinned. "So eat up Jessie, before they discover them."

Jessie smiled as she picked up the apples. "You're a genius James." She told.

It was first later that Jessie realised.. it would have been impossible for James to snatch any apples, she had been in the cell in front of him all of the time, there was no times where he had had to opportunity.

Thus James had given her some of his own food rations, and Jessie had been to ignorant to even think about it before way later. That it was just so typical James to be such a hen mother.

Maybe it was because Jessie wasn't really used to any-one looking after her like that…

Or maybe it was because she was a selfish horrible person!

Either way, Jessie couldn't see how it would excuse her at all.


End file.
